What to do with this Reel?
 

Ive been checking into this site for a few months now and have enjoyed the banter, interaction and information. Having just gotten the fishing bug back, I'm trying to set up my 20' center console for results. My question is this. I recently inherited a 2.5/0 Fin-Nor trolling reel thats over 20 years old and never been fished. Would it be overkill to set this up for Stripers ,and if not,how would you guys do it. I was thinking either lead line or wire.Maybe I should try to sell it and get the proper equipment. If I do keep it what size rod would be a good compliment

Welcome aboard David!!

From what I'm seeing after a quick search on the web, a new 2.5/0 is running $1600.00 and a vintage reel, never been fixed, could be worth around the same if it is in truely excellent shape. From the pictures, it looks like overkill. Here was a link that I saw for current pricing, http://www.7seasint.com/ShopSite/finnor_bg.html

If you chose to sell the reel it sounds like you could outfit your boat AND put a big dent in your yearly fuel bill... That's if you want to sell it. If it has sentimental value, you can gear up for a few hundred for trolling stripers and keep the reel... I have a couple old, sixties vintage ABU 6000Cs from my grandfather that I was using up until a few years ago. I've seen the photos that show me standing next to him fishing these reels when I was 3 years old in '71. They've since been retired but I'm going to hang on to them...

You could setup with a pair of good 7 foot boat rods and reels for trolling stripers for about $300-400...

Tough call, David but it sounds like you inherited a nice piece of equipment...

Any suggestions on where I might find a buyer would be appreciated.

David I believe there are a few members on stripersonline that collect tackle, may be worth a shot posting something. There is always ebay

David, give it a whirl... I was looking on EBAY and didn't find anything comparable form an antique point of view. Although, there was a set of 3 very old, Fin-nor reels of increasing size, matched, numbered, and boxed as a set, that at $4500, has still not met its reserve price... Here is the link... http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1105775582
You also may try some collectors and marine antique dealers if it is old enough or generates some interest...

Now is the reel over 20 years old, like 21-23 yrs? Or is it from the sixties or seventies??

Good Luck...

If you use Ebay, make damn sure you set a reserve price. It would be a shame to put the reel up for auction and not get what it's worth. Might be a good place to start thou and a cheep way to find out if there are people willing to pay what you want. Just set the reserve price at the $$ you want to let it go at and see what happens.

Good luck and tight lines.